The present invention relates to rockets and missiles and pertains particularly to collapsible wing structures for such missiles.
Many rockets and missiles utilize some form of wing or stabilizer structure for stabilizing the missile during flight. Missiles are frequently stored and launched from tubular launchers and are frequently deployed from aircraft or other missiles. Under such circumstances it is frequently necessary to minimize the space for the missile until it is launched. Folding wings of various types and configurations have been utilized in the past to minimize the space required for such missiles.
The premium for space requires that the folding or collapsing wing structures be foldable or collapsible to a minimum space. In addition, the flight characteristics of the missile require optimum reliability and performance of the deployed wing structure. It is therefore desirable that the folding wing structure have highly efficient flight characteristics and, at the same time, be foldable to a minimum space.
A cavity or wing housing must be provided within the airframe structure for containing the folded wing and open to the exterior of the airframe to permit extension of the wing. A reliable closure must be provided for the opening that functions to eliminate excessive drag, to effectively contain the wing structure and to permit extension of the wing without interference.